A beis din for financial matters and for clarification
of yichus has recently opened in Jerusalem. It is
headed by HaRav Avrohom Dov Levine, who is assisted by HaRav
Yehoshua Weiss and HaRav Chaim Domb.
Members of the beis din were blessed and encouraged by
maranan verabonon, led by the pillar of current
halachic authority HaRav Yosef Shlomo Eliashiv, who blessed
the new beis din with success.
The new beis din was also blessed by HaRav Aaron Leib
Steinman, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaRav Shmuel Auerbach.
The beis din is located at 28 Chayei Odom Street, near
Jerusalem's Mekor Chaim yeshiva. Its dayanim are known
in the Torah world as top-ranking gedolei Torah. The
av beis din was highly acclaimed when he presided in
the Jerusalem beis din for monetary matters in recent
years. He became especially well-known for the bold and just
manner in which he issued that court's rulings and by his
attitude toward the litigants, which was according to
halocho and completely impartial.
The menahel of the new beis din relates that in
respect to monetary issues, every litigant who opens a file
in the new beis din will have to fill out a claim
which will be sent to the other party, as well as an
agreement of arbitration. This is due to the fact that in
Israeli law the beis din's authority stems from the
Law of Arbitration.
Among the instructions of the beis din to those
opening cases are a number of innovative ones: 1) Litigants
may not speak with members of the beis din about the
case; 2) Every request pertaining to the case must be
directed to the secretary of the beis din or to its
menahel; 3) Exceptions are restraining orders which
the beis din may issue in the presence of one side
only.
The beis din has also made another welcome innovation:
whoever litigates in its court has the right to request a
written explanation of the ruling. The beis din
promises to consider the request. Av beis din HaRav
Levine followed this procedure in the past. When he headed
the beis din of the Jerusalem Religious Council, the
panel of dayanim recorded written explanations for its
rulings. Many of these appear in the six volumes of rulings
which he has published. The beis din also pledges to
enforce its rulings, as provided by the Law of
Arbitration.
The beis din for the clarification of yichus
will offer a solution to this important problem, providing a
service for clarification and certification of one's
yichus and personal status, under the guidelines of
maranan verabonon.
Everyone is entitled to request an examination of his family
tree. The investigation is meant to prove that the applicant
stems from kosher Jewish lineage. It will also clarify
whether the applicant is a Kohen -- for whom special laws
apply -- or perhaps a convert. The beis din will also
examine whether immigrants who have been classified on their
identity cards as "Jews" are actually Jewish according to
halocho. The beis din will be assisted by the
greatest experts on these issues, among them HaRav Yitzchok
Zilber and HaRav Nochum Eisenstein, chairman of the Vaad
Haolami LeInyonei Giyur headed by HaRav Kreiswirth, the
gaavad of Antwerp.
The Jerusalem bnei Torah community is pleased with the
news of the opening of the beis din, since it is
approved by maranan verabonon and its dayanim
are among the finest rabbonim in the yeshiva world. The
director and the secretary of the beis din are known
for their integrity and yiras Shomayim. Rabbinical
pleaders and lawyers who frequently appear in monetary
botei din are also pleased with the opening of the new
beis din.
